Exploring international beachgoers’ perceptions of safety signage on Australian beaches

Abstract

Background: 136 coastal drowning fatalities in Australia were reported in 2020–2021,almost half of which were overseas-born beachgoers. In light of these statistics, this study explores how beachgoers, including overseas-born beachgoers, see and interpret current existing beach safety signage at Bondi beach in Sydney, Australia. Methods: Surveys of beachgoers at Bondi Beach were collected over 10 days between February 8 and March 21. Surveys comprised closed responses with multiple choices. The data were analysed via SPSS for descriptive analysis for independence, and the Pearson Chi-Square test for the significance of the difference between the Australian and overseas-born beachgoers. Results: 167 survey responses (52 Australian citizens and 116 overseas-born beachgoers) were analysed. Of the overseas visitors and residents, 30.2% believe that swimming between the flags means only that people “perceived to be good swimmers” were allowed to be between the flags. About 50% of the Australian and international beachgoers believe that no flags = no swim means that when the flags are not displayed they cannot swim but can still go into the water. On top of these results, other terms commonly used in beach signage such as shore dump and high surf are understood by only less than 30% of overseas-born beachgoers. Conclusion: These results suggest that at least some of the beach safety signs are not interpreted correctly either by overseas-born or Australian beachgoers. Learning Outcomes: This study suggests a number of linguistic strategies to improve the clarity of nomenclature.